We are writing to share about an upcoming leadership transition. At the end of this year, Ed Self will be stepping down from his role as Executive Director. Current Board President Erlina Edwards will move to the role of Interim Executive Director and lead us through a smooth transition.

We are grateful to the years Ed has spent laying foundations that will continue to serve our community for years to come. Below, you will find a letter from Ed reflecting on the past and future of The Narrative Enneagram along with Erlina’s letter sharing details of the transition plan.

We look forward to a future of transforming lives and creating a more compassionate world together.

A letter from Executive Director Ed Self:

Dear Narrative Enneagram Community,

Change is a natural and healthy part of life. After careful consideration, I have decided to transition from my role as Executive Director of The Narrative Enneagram, wrapping up at year’s end. I am working closely with our Board, Faculty and Staff to ensure a smooth transition and strong future for TNE.

I came to TNE three years ago, with a desire to put 20 years of nonprofit experience to work for a mission, vision and values dear to my heart. Since then, so much has happened. We pivoted to online during the pandemic, engaging more students than ever before. We strengthened our commitment and action to diversity, equity and inclusion, and are giving more scholarships. We created powerful new core values that guide everything we do. We doubled our faculty capacity. We grew our professional staff and launched a new technology platform to support game changing scaling of our impact. We are finishing a new strategic plan that will guide the development of innovative new programming and partnerships, expand the Narrative community, and engage our certified teachers and practitioners like never before.

This was not an easy decision, because I care about the people I work with and our community, and I believe the mission of TNE is more important than ever. That said, now is a natural inflection point in TNE’s developmental arc. For three years, even as we engaged more students than ever, and began prototyping new programs beyond certification, so much of our energy had to go toward pivoting online during the pandemic and building the faculty, staff and technology capacity crucial to scale our programs to the next level. We now have all the foundational elements in place to support bold educational initiatives and new partnerships.

This feels like a natural time to welcome a new leader with skills perfectly matched to the needs of the moment. If you have ever donated or considered donating to The Narrative Enneagram, I encourage your generosity now to support TNE’s future success for the life changing work of the Enneagram.

I am deeply grateful to have had the privilege to work with such an outstanding team of creative professionals and experience first hand the skillfulness of our talented faculty. May our paths continue to cross for many years to come. The hundreds of stories of personal transformation, and their ripple effects, continue to inspire me.

Having seen the strategic importance of technology innovation in a fast changing nonprofit landscape, I’m attracted toward a new career adventure – focusing 30 years of experience spanning two careers toward technology solutions for nonprofit development.

Stay tuned for updates about our transition plan and may The Narrative Enneagram’s best years be ahead.

With Gratitude,
Ed Self, Executive Director

A letter from Board President Erlina Edwards:

To the Narrative Community,

I begin with a heartfelt thank you to Ed as he transitions out of his role as Executive Director. Ed has significantly contributed to The Narrative Enneagram with determination to position TNE well for future success. He now desires to re-focus his energy interests toward technology solutions for non-profit development.

Ed’s significant contributions can be seen over the past three years. His work has played an integral role in bringing us into a new world of critical thinking and technological advances while strengthening our internal processes with organizational rigor.

We are currently working on the details of the transition plan, including the transfer of knowledge and responsibilities. The Broad has created an interim plan to cover Ed’s duties and responsibilities. For now, I will vacate my position as the Board President to serve as Interim Executive Director, and Mónica Tinoco will take on the role of Board President. Also aligning with me to handle our organizational needs is Allison DeHart, our current Finance Leader, who has played a key role in previous organizational transitions.

Together with the Board and our committed faculty and staff, we will ensure a seamless, smooth transition. We’re aligned and working together. We’ll keep you posted as we work together to continue transforming lives and creating a more compassionate world.

Please join me in congratulating Ed on his new journey, and feel free to send your best wishes to him directly at ed@narrativeenneagram.org.

Don’t hesitate to contact Ed or me if you have questions about his departure.

All the best,
Erlina Edwards, Board President